My First AI Conference (And Why It Was a Mess)
Okay, let me set the scene. It was March 2019, some conference in Austin. I’m sitting there, listening to some guy named—let’s call him Marcus—ramble on about how AI is gonna revolutionize everything. And I’m thinking, “Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard this before.” But then he starts talking about how AI can predict stock market trends. And I’m like, “Hold up. That’s not just revolutionary, that’s life-changing.”
So, I’m all in. I start reading, experimenting, even investing a little. And then… nothing. Or, I mean, not nothing, but not the goldmine Marcus promised either.
Last Tuesday, I was having coffee with an old colleague named Dave. He’s all excited about some new AI tool he found. And I’m like, “Dave, I’ve been down this road. It’s a committment, and honestly, it’s not always worth it.” But he’s not having it. “You just gotta find the right tool,” he says. Which… yeah. Fair enough.
Why AI Feels Like a Scam (Sometimes)
Look, I’m not saying AI is a scam. It’s not. It’s just… it’s complicated. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is on fire, and the needle is also on fire. You get what I’m saying?
I remember this one time, I was trying to use AI to automate some stuff for the magazine. Spent 36 hours on it. 36 hours! And what do I get? A tool that kinda works, but not really. It’s like it’s 80% there, but that last 20%? That’s the stuff nightmares are made of.
And don’t even get me started on the hype. Every other day, there’s some new AI tool that’s gonna “revolutionize” something. And I’m like, “Okay, sure, maybe. But what about the stuff that’s already out there? The stuff that’s been out there for years and still doesn’t work properly?”
Dropshipping and AI: A Match Made in Heaven?
So, I was talking to this friend of mine, let’s call her Priya. She’s into dropshipping products trending 2026 and all that. And she’s like, “You gotta use AI for this stuff, it’s a game-changer.” And I’m like, “Priya, I’m not sure but I think you might be onto something.” But then I start looking into it, and it’s the same old song and dance. Lots of promises, not a lot of delivery.
I mean, look at the numbers. According to some study I found (which honestly nobody asked for but here we are), only 12% of businesses using AI for dropshipping are actually seeing a return on investment. 12%! That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it?
A Tangent: Why I Hate the Word ‘Revolutionary’
Okay, so this isn’t really about AI, but whatever. I hate the word ‘revolutionary.’ It’s overused, it’s vague, and it’s usually just a way for people to hype up something that’s not really all that revolutionary. Like, no, your new AI tool is not revolutionary. It’s just a tool. A tool that might be useful, but not revolutionary.
And while we’re on the subject, can we talk about how everyone’s using the word ‘landscape’ these days? It’s like a disease. “The AI landscape is changing rapidly.” No, it’s not. It’s just changing. And it’s not a landscape, it’s a bunch of tools and technologies that are either useful or they’re not.
Back to Reality: AI in 2024
So, here we are in 2024. And what’s changed? Not a lot, honestly. AI is still a mess. It’s still complicated, it’s still expensive, and it’s still not living up to the hype. But, and this is a big but, it’s getting better. Slowly but surely, it’s getting better.
I was talking to this developer the other day. Let’s call him Raj. He’s working on some AI project, and he’s all excited about it. And I’m like, “Raj, I’ve been down this road before. It’s a committment, and it’s not always worth it.” But he’s not having it. “No, no, this is different,” he says. “This is gonna be big.” And I’m like, “Okay, Raj. I hope you’re right.”
Because, look, I want AI to be this big, revolutionary thing. I really do. I want it to change the world. I want it to make our lives easier, better, more efficient. But until it actually does that, until it actually lives up to the hype, I’m gonna be skeptical. I’m gonna be that guy who’s like, “Yeah, but what about the last 20%?”
And that’s where I’m at. That’s my take on AI in 2024. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, but it’s getting there. Slowly but surely, it’s getting there.
About the Author
Sarah Thompson has been a senior magazine editor for over 20 years. She’s seen the rise and fall of countless technologies and is always ready to share her candid opinions. When she’s not editing, she’s probably arguing about the latest tech trend on Twitter or trying to convince her cat to use an AI-powered feeder (it’s not going well).
